Isaiah 48:16

God's presence

¹⁴ Come together, all of you, and listen: Which of the idols has foretold these things? The LORD’s chosen ally will carry out His desire against Babylon, and His arm will be against the Chaldeans.

¹⁵ I, even I, have spoken; yes, I have called him. I have brought him, and he will succeed in his mission.

Come near to Me and listen to this: From the beginning I have not spoken in secret; from the time it happened, I was there.” And now the Lord GOD has sent me, accompanied by His Spirit.

¹⁷ Thus says the LORD your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you for your benefit, who directs you in the way you should go.

¹⁸ If only you had paid attention to My commandments, your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like waves of the sea.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Come near to Me and listen to this: From the beginning I have not spoken in secret; from the time it happened, I was there.” And now the Lord GOD has sent me, accompanied by His Spirit.
KJV: Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, hath sent me.
WEB: “Come near to me and hear this: “From the beginning I have not spoken in secret; from the time that it happened, I was there.” Now the Lord GOD has sent me with his Spirit.
ASV: Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; from the beginning I have not spoken in secret; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord Jehovah hath sent me, and his Spirit.
DARBY: Come near unto me, hear ye this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I; and now the Lord Jehovah hath sent me, and his Spirit.
BLB: Come near to Me, hear this! From the beginning I have not spoken in secret; from the time of its coming to be, there” I [am]. And now, the Lord YHWH has sent me, and His Spirit.

ÅB: Kom nær til meg, hør dette! Fra begynnelsen av har jeg ikke talt i lønndom; fra den tid det kom, var jeg der[^7]. Og nå har Herren, Israels Gud, sendt meg[^8] og sin Ånd.
OTB: "Kom nær til Meg og lytt til dette: Fra begynnelsen har Jeg ikke talt i hemmelighet; fra den tid det skjer, er Jeg der." Og nå har Den Suverene Herre sendt Meg, utrustet med Sin Ånd.
B1930: Kom nær til mig, hør dette! Fra begynnelsen av har jeg ikke talt i lønndom; fra den tid det kom, var jeg der. Og nu har Herren, Israels Gud, sendt mig og sin Ånd. / < fra den tid det forkynte begynte å opfylles, var jeg virksom til stede.> / < d.e. profeten.>

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

John 18:20
“I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus answered. “I always taught in the synagogues and at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret.
Read in context
John 20:21–22
Again Jesus said to them, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, so also I am sending you.”
Read in context
Isaiah 61:1–3
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners,
Read in context
Isaiah 45:19
I have not spoken in secret, from a place in a land of darkness. I did not say to the descendants of Jacob, ‘Seek Me in a wasteland.’ I, the LORD, speak the truth; I say what is right.
Read in context
John 3:34
For the One whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.
Read in context
Luke 4:18
“The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed,
Read in context
Isaiah 11:1–5
Then a shoot will spring up from the stump of Jesse, and a Branch from his roots will bear fruit.
Read in context
Isaiah 48:3–6
I foretold the former things long ago; they came out of My mouth and I proclaimed them. Suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.
Read in context